Here lay Duncan, his silver skin lac'd with golden blood

To remember this quote use the following mnemonic.

Here lay Duncan with his silver skin everyone!

Here lay Duncan with his silver skin everyone

But after some time blood oozed out of the silver body in a laced pattern and the blood was golden blood.

But after some time blood oozed out of the silver body in a laced pattern and the blood was golden blood

"Here lay Duncan, his silver skin lac'd with golden blood." Act 2, scene 3, line 107.

Macbeth is describing Duncan's dead body after the murder. He calls Duncan's skin "silver" and his blood "golden," using beautiful, precious imagery to make Duncan seem noble and pure. This description is meant to show how terrible and unnatural the murder is, because such a good king has been violently killed.

Theme of Innocence and Purity - By describing Duncan's body in precious metals, Macbeth is pretending to honour the king's goodness and purity. This metaphor compares the precious metals with the glory of Duncan. The use of silver symbolizes Duncan's purity and age. Gold suggests the wealth and power of the king and a gold heart.

Theme of Deception and Hypocrisy - Macbeth is the murderer, but he speaks as if he is shocked and sorrowful. This shows his skill at lying and manipulating others.

Theme of Horror and Regicide - The beautiful imagery makes the crime seem even more shocking - something valuable has been destroyed.

Theme of Appearance vs Reality - While Macbeth appears to be grieving, he is actually hiding his guilt.